Welcome to the pinnacle of American crime stories. For many of todays inner-city youth, misguidance, a lack of vision, and not enough mind leads to time in prisonbut thats where things change for Earl. The young character meets perhaps the wisest mind in captivitya mind so supreme in wisdom that it was trapped there by a criminal underworld who feared it. The gems of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding given to the young man is the breakdown guidance every young mind needs. When God created man, He searched for a helpmate for him. He didnt bring Adam a Road-Dawg. He brought him a woman, Olds had taught. Thats your true partner in life. She had been mistreated, socially discarded, and seemingly cursed with dark black skinuntil he came along. As he battles for his supremacy in the streets, the conversations shared between the two is the breath of life that shapes the intellects of Kings & Queens.
The story of the Garden of Eden in Genesis chapter 3 is a familiar story for many. Forbidden fruit, a deceptive snake, and fig leaf-covered humans make their way into everything from children’s bibles to Hollywood movies. But our familiarity with the story may hide fundamental misunderstandings that impact how we see God and ultimately damage our trust in him. Many see the story only as bad news about the Fall of Man; the beginning of human failure and sin. But what is this foundational story of the Bible really trying to communicate? In this captivating exploration, Brent Faulkner takes readers on a journey beyond the familiar tropes of forbidden fruit and fig leaves. Unveiling the deeper layers of the biblical tale, Faulkner dispels misconceptions, offering a fresh perspective on the true nature of God. Through a skillful interweaving of scriptural insights and relatable stories, he reveals a God worthy of trust. Join Faulkner as he unveils the good news concealed within the Fall—the revelation of God’s steadfast character. This book invites you to reevaluate your understanding of the Garden of Eden and, in doing so, fortify your trust in God. Understand the path of deception that damages our trust in God. See the truth of God’s goodness and love revealed in Genesis 3. Begin living the intimate-trust filled partnership you were created for. Discover the good news of God’s trustworthy character revealed within the Fall.
This book is a translation of the Greek New Testament with the following features: 1) Each potential parsing of each verb, participle, and infinitive presented in an interlinear format 2) English tenses used that match the Greek tenses 3) Greek nouns that are not made into English verbs (and vice versa) 4) Brackets indicating the words added into the translation 5) Two parsing keys and a page of symbols, abbreviations, and words As a graduate of a non-denominational Bible college and an inter-denominational seminary, the author did not play favorites with any theological school of thought. He strove to find a balance between Greek accuracy and English readability. The following Greek texts were used: the United Bible Societies’ Greek New Testament, 4th Edition and the Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum, 26th edition. The author is able to overcome the poor quality of the Greek texts used by sixteenth- and seventeenth-century English translators. Yet, it is very difficult for Bible teachers and Pastors to overcome the traditional words used in these early translations that are so very misleading to English Bible readers. How were “experts” in Latin able to translate their Greek text (and Hebrew) and still be given credit today for being “conservatives?” Many Greek students think that the Greek words have only one parsing (example: mood, tense, voice, etc.). Unfortunately, some preachers speak dogmatically about a Greek word while leaving out the other potential parsing that that particular verb may have. Please honor God’s inerrant, infallible, and God-breathed Word by doing a professional job of research and study. Consider the eternal consequences for all speaking and all listening!
The massive and foreboding Great Dismal Swamp sprawls over 2,000 square miles and spills over parts of Virginia and North Carolina. From the early seventeenth century, the nearly impassable Dismal frustrated settlement. However, what may have been an impediment to the expansion of slave society became an essential sanctuary for many of those who sought to escape it. In the depths of the Dismal, thousands of maroons—people who had emancipated themselves from enslavement and settled beyond the reach of enslavers—established new lives of freedom in a landscape deemed worthless and inaccessible by whites. Dismal Freedom unearths the stories of these maroons, their lives, and their struggles for liberation. Drawing from newly discovered primary sources and archeological evidence that suggests far more extensive maroon settlement than historians have previously imagined, award-winning author J. Brent Morris uncovers one of the most exciting yet neglected stories of American history. This is the story of resilient, proud, and determined people who made the Great Dismal Swamp their free home and sanctuary and who played an outsized role in undermining slavery through the Civil War.
What is the relationship between the nation of Israel, Jesus Christ, and the church? Pastors and theologians come to significantly different conclusions. The reigning systems of evangelical theology, covenant theology, and dispensationalism answer this question by stressing the continuity of the Israel-church relationship (covenant theology) or emphasizing discontinuity (dispensationalism). In more recent times, progressive covenantalism has emerged as a via media between these two theological approaches by providing a different proposal for unpacking the biblical covenants, and by highlighting that to rightly understand the people of God in biblical theology, the person of Jesus Christ must be the focal point. In Christ Jesus, the True Israel, Brent E. Parker presents the case for the importance of typology in this debate, arguing that national Israel is a type, not unlike other Old Testament types (e.g., the sacrificial system, the temple, etc.), that reaches its antitypical fulfillment in Jesus Christ. Moreover, the Israel-church relationship is also typological, but only through Christ. Parker demonstrates that the progressive covenantal approach is a viable system of theology that seeks to preserve what the whole Bible says regarding the people of God, from Israel to Christ and from Christ to the church.
In this never-before-told history of Buffalo Bill and the Mormons, Brent M. Rogers presents the intersections in the epic histories of William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody and the Latter-day Saints from 1846 through 1917. In Cody’s autobiography he claimed to have been a member of the U.S. Army wagon train that was burned by the Saints during the Utah War of 1857–58. Less than twenty years later he began his stage career and gained notoriety by performing anti-Mormon dramas. By early 1900 he actively recruited Latter-day Saints to help build infrastructure and encourage growth in the region surrounding his town of Cody, Wyoming. In Buffalo Bill and the Mormons Rogers unravels this history and the fascinating trajectory that took America’s most famous celebrity from foe to friend of the Latter-day Saints. In doing so, the book demonstrates how the evolving relationship between Cody and the Latter-day Saints can help readers better understand the political and cultural perceptions of Mormons and the American West.
Father Deficit is an honest unpacking of the factors that shape a young mans journey toward maturity. The book capitalizes on real life experience through the depiction of three well-examined personal stories. It describes how the near extinction of generational and tribal mentorship has contributed to a warped picture of masculinity. Men ignore the powerful factors that influence them and this lack of insight prevents them from effectively moving forward. Father Deficit holds men accountable for understanding their identity and purpose, so theyre equipped to develop into the powerful, purposeful and valuable individuals they were created to be.
It is hoped that you have had the chance to read eBooks 1 and 2. We can see that our Heavenly Father has a plan for us to follow that will in time and with our desire will lead us back to Him. Now, the question is. What is the plan and where do we find it? It is to be found in the Gospel, “The Good News of God” as taught in the scriptures and by the Apostles and Prophets of God both ancient and modern. In this eBook we will find some answers as to How God is Known, what kind of being God is. We will now begin to unlock some of the unknowns and mysteries that we all want and need to learn. The importance of our lifetime on Earth cannot be overstated. This Is the time given to each of us to work out our own Salvation. Each one of us as individuals must show what we want to become. What that means is we can use our agency to decide just what type of life we want to live throughout all eternity. Do we want to believe and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ or follow the lifestyle of the adversary,” Satan”? Ancient apostles have said, do not procrastinate the day of your repentance. Today is the day to prepare to meet God. All are born into this life with the spirit or the light of Christ in them. It follows then that if we but follow and listen to that spirit it will lead us back to Christ. All are loved by Him, and it is His work and glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of all humanity. It is the object and purpose of this series of eBooks to add to our storehouse of knowledge of the life of Jesus Christ. We are told that a man can be saved no faster than he gains knowledge of Jesus Christ, His commandments and lives them. When the Lord speaks of being saved, He means to be worthy of returning to and living with Him. The natural man within us all, is an enemy of God and wants to move us away from this light of Christ. Satan is real and his influence on us is strong. We must seek out true knowledge from all who know truths and learn from them. God has a plan and He told and taught us about this plan in a pre-existent time before we were born on this earth. We used our eternal agency to decide if we wanted to believe and follow Him or not, in that pre-existent time. All who used that agency and chose to follow the plan were chosen to be born on this earth and receive a mortal body. Those who chose to not accept were denied a mortal body and were cast out. All those outcasts are now here on this earth without mortal bodies and are tempting us to deny Christ and live corrupt lives, we will learn more about all of this as we go along. The first eBook “The Pre-existence” (1st Estate) was to give us a better understanding of where we came from and the plan that has been established by God to allow us to be tested and move us ever closer to our goal of exaltation. In the second eBook, “Earth Life” (2nd Estate), we gained answers to the question of why we are here. We gained a much better understanding of this probationary time and just how important it is to our Salvation. We must not waste this time but learn to feast on the words of Christ. The Lord has not left us alone in obtaining a greater understanding and knowledge of God’s Plan for all His children. The ancient and latter-day Apostles and Prophets have given us direction of what we should do. This third eBook titled “The Gospel or The Good News of God” will teach us more of what we need to do. It is quite simple. We need to “Read, Ponder and Pray,” about all that we are learning and ask God if these things are true. He will manifest the truth of all things to each of us in His own time and in His own way through the power of the Holy Ghost. We will learn more of this Holy Ghost in future eBooks. After learning of these truths and commandments we must live them so we will be worthy to return to and live with Him. Read on now a enjoy.
Conscious creation is the theory that we create our own reality when we watch the movie screen. Brent Marchant examines psychological aspects of motion pictures.
CPH Christian Living Commentary on the book of James by author Brent A. Calloway will give every Christian reader the opportunity to grow in knowledge and faith. The reader will learn to observe, understand, and apply the Bible to transform his or her life as they humbly walk with God. It is Calloway's genuine expectation that this commentary will help the reader more fully reveal the love of God in their life as they learn how to engage his Word like never before. The reader can expect to grow spiritually, personally and professionally, as well as his or her family relationship. CPH Living Commentary is easy to read and understand while also accurately communicating what James meant in his letter to his first-century readers. It offers the 21st century reader a practical guide, as to how they can apply this same message in their lives.
The will abstracts in this volume, 1749-1790, are based on the oldest Mecklenburg County wills of record, as well as upon the extant returns of wills and estates of the North Carolina Secretary of State. While the length and contents of these abstracts vary, most of them provide the name of the testator, date of the will, names and relationships of all heirs to the estate (sometimes with ages given or inferred), contents of the estate, names of executors, and, usually, the date of probate.
Faith, doubt, and reason are universal human faculties, yet they are frequently misunderstood, denigrated, and even abused. What does it mean to have faith, and what distinguishes faith from belief? Can someone have faith without religious commitments? What is doubt, and what is its relationship to faith and belief? How do we make sense of evil and suffering? What roles does reason play in our lives? What do we do when we have the sneaking suspicion that life is absurd? What do we love, and what do we fear? How do faith, doubt, and reason interrelate? Faith, doubt, and reason not only can work together: they must work together if we are to live lives of meaning and purpose. This book explores the significance of these three universal human faculties and the central role they play in our quest for the meaning of life. Drawing on classic texts in theology, philosophy, literature, and the Bible, Faith, Doubt, and Reason invites readers to delve deeply into the quest for the meaning of life in all its ambiguity, mystery, and tragic beauty.
Many people know what to believe and why to hold to those beliefs. But the majority of them dont know how to do when it comes to the countless decisions we must make that the Bible doesnt specifically address. Chasing Elephants carefully examines the biblical subject of freedom in Christ. Taking into account values, priorities, accountability, and cultural issues, Author Brent Crowe extracts a set of principles to act as a theology of belief for the seemingly gray areas of life. With these principles as a guide, you will be prepared to handle the moral or ethical decisions you will face in life.
CPH Christian Living Commentary on the book of James by author Brent A. Calloway will give every Christian reader the opportunity to grow in knowledge and faith. The reader will learn to observe, understand, and apply the Bible to transform his or her life as they humbly walk with God. It is Calloway's genuine expectation that this commentary will help the reader more fully reveal the love of God in their life as they learn how to engage his Word like never before. The reader can expect to grow spiritually, personally and professionally, as well as his or her family relationship. CPH Living Commentary is easy to read and understand while also accurately communicating what James meant in his letter to his first-century readers. It offers the 21st century reader a practical guide, as to how they can apply this same message in their lives.
This first eBook will go a long way to giving us a better understanding of where we came from and of what we already pretty much know by instinct. That is, we have been given life by a supreme creator. We know the three pillars of eternity are: the creation, the fall of Adam and Eve and the atonement of Jesus Christ. We will learn of the creation, the fall, the location of the garden of Eden and the atonement of Jesus Christ for all. All are born into this life with the spirit or the light of Christ in them. It follows then that if we but follow and listen to that spirit it will lead us back to Christ. All are loved by Him and it is His work and glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of all mankind. It is the object and purpose of this series of eBooks to add to our knowledge of the life of Jesus Christ. We are told that a man can be saved no faster than he gains knowledge of Jesus Christ, His commandments and lives them. When the Lord speaks of being saved, He means to be worthy of returning to and living with Him. The natural man within us all, is an enemy to God and wants to move us away from this light of Christ. Satan is real and his influence on us is strong. We must seek out true knowledge from all who know truths and learn from them. God has a plan and He told and taught us about this plan in a pre-existent time before we were born. We used our eternal agency to decide if we wanted to believe and follow Him or not, in that pre-existent time. All who used that agency and chose to follow the plan were chosen to be born on this earth and receive a mortal body. Those who chose to not accept were denied a mortal body and were cast out. We will learn more about all of this as we go along. This first eBook “The Pre-existence” is to give us a better understanding of where we came from and the overall plan that has been established by God to allow us to be tested and move us ever closer to our goal of exaltation.
Virtually every person who has ever lived has wondered if we exist, either in body, soul, or spirit, before our physical birth, and after our physical death. Virtually every religion, civilization, philosophy, and culture has answered both questions with a resounding "YES!" In fact, modern scientists have shown us overwhelming evidence that our body, soul, or spirit exists prior to our physical birth, and after our brain, heart, and lungs cease to function. Join me for an incredible journey. By understanding who we are, and how to live in the world, we will know what the world is all about, and thus live a life of happiness, health, money, and love.
Brent Bittner, an attorney from Canada, travels to South India with his best friend Kavi for his friend's Indian wedding. He quickly learns how to adapt to an amazing culture that he finds interesting yet often challenging. Later, he is invited to visit the Indian court system by one of his new friends, an Indian attorney. He recounts fascinating stories from before and during the wedding and his time spent with his friend and his friend's family. Following the wedding, Brent takes three weeks to explore the magic of India. While on a train to Cape Comorin, he meets up with a father and son from Bombay. They nickname him "Swami," the Hindu name for a spiritual guru. While on his trip, Brent learns that his father has died. Later, a visit from his father in spirit becomes a wonderful gift from the grave, confirming and enriching Brent's own spirituality. This warm, funny, and insightful memoir was created for Brent's son, Keenan, as a present to him on his thirteenth birthday, to encourage him and others to take their own spiritual paths, wherever they may lead.
The Old Testament constitutes the majority of the Christian Bible and provides much of the language of Christian faith. However, many churches tend to neglect this crucial part of Scripture. This timely book details a number of ways the Old Testament is showing signs of decay, demise, and imminent death in the church. Brent Strawn reminds us of the Old Testament's important role in Christian faith and practice, criticizes current misunderstandings that contribute to its neglect, and offers ways to revitalize its use in the church.
Prayer is the master key that opens the door to the blessings of God. It opens the heart, opens possibilities that are impossible by natural means, and opens the door to God’s presence. Through a particular and persistent kind of prayer, peace and power flow from God into our lives. The problem is that many people have an experience of prayer that is dull, unimaginative, and lacking power. Their prayer yields few answers and little peace. Jesus’s disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray.” Hearing Jesus pray, they knew that they needed to learn how to pray on a deeper level in order to see the miracles and transformation of persistent prayer. In the same way, we need to learn the conditions of prayer that prevail so that we can walk in faith, expect answers, and give thanks even before prayer is answered. In Prayer Power: 40 Days of Learning to Pray Like George Müller, author Brent Patrick McDougal invites you to take a forty-day journey to discover that kind of prayer. Each day features a teaching from Scripture and a story from the life of nineteenth-century pastor George Müller, one of the great heroes of our faith. Over a lifetime of ministry, Müller launched multiple orphanages that cared for more than 10,000 children. But not once did he ever ask for donations. Instead, he prayed as each need arose. Prayer Power teaches everyday people of faith how to pray with the faith of George Müller, expecting answers because our good God is waiting to meet and reward those who seek Him.
The Book of Covenants is a fresh perspective on the story of redemption as found within the covers of the Christian Bible. God did not choose religion to accomplish His goals, but instead, He carried out His masterful plan of salvation through a series of covenants. Biblical covenants offer great insight into the nature, character, and faithfulness of Yahweh, the covenant-keeping God. These relational covenants give us assurance of Gods blessings and promises while establishing a clear path to eternal life in Jesus Christ. Knowing the terms of these covenants will help the believer live a life pleasing to God with peace and confidence through understanding their expectations of being in a covenant relationship with God.
The Christian Life is a study of our spiritual inheritance in Christ. As New Testament believers in Jesus, the Bible teaches that we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. The blessings and promises of God have been given to each of us who have been born again into the family of God. This study explores who we are, what we have, and what we can do now that we are new creations in Christ.
Examining a wide array of ancient writings, Brent Nongbri dispels the commonly held idea that there is such a thing as ancient religion. Nongbri shows how misleading it is to speak as though religion was a concept native to pre-modern cultures.
The Writing on the Wall concerns a partly autobiographical example of a real modern-day miracle that Justin Brent Wallace received only as a result of daring to completely trust and effectively discern the voice of the Holy Spirit. This also proved to him God’s existence beyond doubt. Herein, the author reveals and discusses all the relevant circumstances, showing the proof of God’s existence and analyzing the result, hoping to teach others how to better see and discern the Holy Spirit’s presence in their lives. He urges the reader to apply what he reveals, supported by numerous Bible verses. Heeding the Holy Spirit’s voice leads to rewards of greater faith and knowledge of God as well as the assurance of living his will.
Allen Brent examines the significance of the Hippolytan events in the life of the Roman Church in the early third century. Developing the thesis of at least two authors in the Hippolytan corpus, he proposes a new, redactional explanation of the relation between these different authors and the theological and social tensions to which their work bears witness. Brent reconstructs a picture of the community that contextualizes both the Hippolytan literature and in particular the Statue, for which he proposes a new interpretation as a community artefact though universally misjudged as a monument to an individual. Tertullian's relationship with Callistus is finally re-assessed. This work is thus an important contribution to new understandings of a period critical both for the development of Church Order and embryonic Trinitarian Orthodoxy.
Explores the field of comparative-integrative psychoanalysis. This book provides an invaluable framework for approaching the fractious state of the psychoanalytic discipline, divided as it is into diverse schools of thought, presenting many conceptual challenges. It draws on insights from neighboring disciplines to shed light on the issue.
Despite what its title might suggest, Death and Desire is a meditation on life. Using the texts of Hegel, Heidegger, and Deleuze, the author argues that philosophy has been dominated by a form of thought that focuses exclusively on death. The importance of Death and Desire lies in its refusal of the morbidity of much contemporary philosophy. Its uniqueness lies in placing Hegel, Heidegger, and Deleuze in conversation. Its usefulness lies in the clarity with which it articulates and compares these very diverse thinkers.
In this eBook 6 we will now learn answers to one of the questions we all ask ourselves one time or another. At my death where will I go? I would like to relate a true story about my uncle many years ago. He was a big man 6’4” or more. He lied about his age when he was 16 years old and got a job with the railroad as a fireman on a steam locomotive. He worked his way up to an engineer driving the train from point to point and from town to town. One day we as a family were sitting in the front room of my parent’s home and my uncle was ask: what do you think is going to happen to you when you die? He thought for a moment and looked up and said: well, I believe when you die you a just damn dead and that is all there is to it. Sadly, there are many people who think the same way today. There is much more to this life than just the few years we live as mortals on this earth. God has a much larger plan for us all. It is a good plan and one we can learn about and gain great comfort and happiness from. You see in all the eBooks I have written a graph titled the “Plan of Salvation” showing God’s Plan from the pre-existence to the final placement of all depending on how they choose to live their life in mortality. I put it in every book because of the importance it is to us. Death though, all ways a sad time, can be mitigated somewhat with the knowledge that it is more of a beginning that an end. That statement might be a new and strange concept to many but if you have been taught before or read in the eBooks thus far you know we were all taught these things in the pre-existence and we as mortals today accepted and wanted to experience this mortal probation willingly knowing that we all have the potential to return and live with God In exaltation in the celestial world depending on the type of life we choose to live here in mortality. We must remind ourselves that death is a separation of the body and the spirit. The spirit is eternal and will always be. The mind of man is in the spirit. The spirit and the body will be reunited upon our resurrection at the designated time never again to part. This will all be discussed in greater detail in the next eBook 6 Titled “Final Judgment”. It is now in this mortal time we are living on this planet to do all we can to learn of the mission of Jesus Christ, His atonement, and His commandments to live righteous lives and be worthy to return to live with Him. This takes effort on the part of each of us. We will not gain salvation with Deity as with those who have done so by default. We must be actively engaged in this work. Read on now and enjoy.
This concise volume introduces readers to the three main sections of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and to the biblical books found in each. It is organized around two primary "stories": the story that scholars tell about the Old Testament and the story the literature itself tells. Concluding with a reconsideration of the Old Testament as more like poetry than a story, three main chapters cover: The Pentateuch (Torah) The Prophets (Neviʾim) The Writings (Ketuvim) With key summaries of what the parts of the Old Testament "are all about," and including suggestions for further reading, this volume is an ideal introduction for students of and newcomers to the Old Testament.
It is hoped that you have had the chance to read eBooks 1 and 2. We can see that our Heavenly Father has a plan for us to follow that will in time and with our desire will lead us back to Him. Now, the question is. What is the plan and where do we find it? It is to be found in the Gospel, “The Good News of God” as taught in the scriptures and by the Apostles and Prophets of God both ancient and modern. In this eBook we will find some answers as to How God is Known, what kind of being God is. We will now begin to unlock some of the unknowns and mysteries that we all want and need to learn. The importance of our lifetime on Earth cannot be overstated. This Is the time given to each of us to work out our own Salvation. Each one of us as individuals must show what we want to become. What that means is we can use our agency to decide just what type of life we want to live throughout all eternity. Do we want to believe and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ or follow the lifestyle of the adversary,” Satan”? Ancient apostles have said, do not procrastinate the day of your repentance. Today is the day to prepare to meet God. All are born into this life with the spirit or the light of Christ in them. It follows then that if we but follow and listen to that spirit it will lead us back to Christ. All are loved by Him, and it is His work and glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of all humanity. It is the object and purpose of this series of eBooks to add to our storehouse of knowledge of the life of Jesus Christ. We are told that a man can be saved no faster than he gains knowledge of Jesus Christ, His commandments and lives them. When the Lord speaks of being saved, He means to be worthy of returning to and living with Him. The natural man within us all, is an enemy of God and wants to move us away from this light of Christ. Satan is real and his influence on us is strong. We must seek out true knowledge from all who know truths and learn from them. God has a plan and He told and taught us about this plan in a pre-existent time before we were born on this earth. We used our eternal agency to decide if we wanted to believe and follow Him or not, in that pre-existent time. All who used that agency and chose to follow the plan were chosen to be born on this earth and receive a mortal body. Those who chose to not accept were denied a mortal body and were cast out. All those outcasts are now here on this earth without mortal bodies and are tempting us to deny Christ and live corrupt lives, we will learn more about all of this as we go along. The first eBook “The Pre-existence” (1st Estate) was to give us a better understanding of where we came from and the plan that has been established by God to allow us to be tested and move us ever closer to our goal of exaltation. In the second eBook, “Earth Life” (2nd Estate), we gained answers to the question of why we are here. We gained a much better understanding of this probationary time and just how important it is to our Salvation. We must not waste this time but learn to feast on the words of Christ. The Lord has not left us alone in obtaining a greater understanding and knowledge of God’s Plan for all His children. The ancient and latter-day Apostles and Prophets have given us direction of what we should do. This third eBook titled “The Gospel or The Good News of God” will teach us more of what we need to do. It is quite simple. We need to “Read, Ponder and Pray,” about all that we are learning and ask God if these things are true. He will manifest the truth of all things to each of us in His own time and in His own way through the power of the Holy Ghost. We will learn more of this Holy Ghost in future eBooks. After learning of these truths and commandments we must live them so we will be worthy to return to and live with Him. Read on now a enjoy.
“My Lord! There is no one like you among the gods!” Attempting to describe the nature of God often prompts the exclamation of the psalmist—that God is unlike anyone or anything else. And yet the claim is not simply the overflow of an adoring heart: God’s incomparability is a truth lodged deep within Christian Scripture. In The Incomparable God, Old Testament scholar Brent Strawn offers thoughtful insight into this theological mystery. This volume collects eighteen of Strawn’s most provocative essays on the nature of God, several of which are published for the first time here. Strawn covers the following topics: • the complex portrayal of God in Genesis • God’s mercy in Exodus • poetic description of God in the Psalms • the Trinity in both testaments • pedagogy of the Old Testament • integration of faith and scholarship Encompassing close readings of Scripture, biblical-theological argument, and considerations of praxis, The Incomparable God is essential reading for Old Testament scholars and students.
The Equality of Flesh traces a new genealogy of equality before its formalization under liberalism. While modern ideas of equality are defined through an inner human nature, Brent Dawson argues that the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries conceptualized equality as an ambivalent and profoundly bodily condition. Everyone was made from the same lowly matter and, as a result, shared the same set of vulnerabilities, needs, and passions. Responding to the political upheavals of colonialism and the intellectual turmoil of new natural philosophies, leading figures of the English Renaissance, including Edmund Spenser and William Shakespeare, anxiously imagined that bodily commonality might undermine differences of religion, race, and class. As the period progressed, later authors developed the revolutionary possibilities of bodily equality even as new ideas of fixed racial inequality emerged. Some—like the utopian radical Gerrard Winstanley and the republican poet John Milton—challenged political absolutism through the idea of humans as base, embodied creatures. Others—like the heterodox philosopher Margaret Cavendish, the French theologian Isaac La Peyrère, and the libertine Cyrano de Bergerac—offered limited yet important interrogations of racial paradigms. This moment, Dawson shows, would pass, as bodily equality was marginalized in the liberal theories of John Locke and Thomas Hobbes. In its place, during the Enlightenment pseudoscientific racism would come to anchor inequality in the body. Contending with the lasting implications of material equality for modernity, The Equality of Flesh shows how increasingly vehement notions of racial difference eclipsed a nascent sense of human commonality rooted in the basic stuff of life.
A leading scholar explores the importance of physical objects and sensory experience in the practice of religion. A History of Religion in 5½ Objects takes a fresh and much-needed approach to the study of that contentious yet vital area of human culture: religion. Arguing that religion must be understood in the first instance as deriving from rudimentary human experiences, from lived, embodied practices, S. Brent Plate asks us to put aside, for the moment, questions of belief and abstract ideas. Instead, beginning with the desirous, incomplete human body, he asks us to focus on five ordinary objects—stones, incense, drums, crosses, and bread—with which we connect in our pursuit of religious meaning and fulfillment. As Plate considers each of these objects, he explores how the world’s religious traditions have put each of them to different uses throughout the millennia. Religion, it turns out, has as much to do with our bodies as our beliefs. Maybe even more.
Twist-A-Matic Theology explores the doctrines of the Hebrew Roots, Sacred Names, and other Sabbath keeping movements. These groups teach what the Bible refers to as “another gospel” (which is really no gospel at all). This false gospel claims that believers in Jesus are still required to be circumcised and keep the Old Covenant law of Moses. Using scripture in its full context, we expose 30 of the top Judaizer doctrines, and clear up the confusion caused by these dangerous teachings.
“And when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance. Then they said to Moses, ‘Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die’” (Exodus 20:18–19). God drew near, showing Israel His glory, and out of fear Israel backed away. They were content to follow a man rather than their God. The same is still true for too many of us today. We will rely upon our churches and pastors to lead us, but are unwilling or unable to find God for ourselves. Nevertheless, Jesus pursues a relationship with each of us if we are but willing to seek Him out. Let me show you the journey God has taken me on to find that He is nearer than I ever believed.
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